Born Under A Bad sign
Jimi Hendrix
Bass by Billy Cox
>From The "Blues" Album.

This lovely little instrumental is pretty simular to the original Albert king 
version & its 9 steps higher.

  Intro: (also alternated with the main riff a few times after 3.44)
  just your basic A# pentatonic type thing...
                    
G|—————————————6———————————————————————|
D|———————6—h8—————8(lr)——————6—————————|
A|—6—h8————————————————6—h8————————————|
E|——————————————————————————————4———6——|

  main riff: (first played @ 0.13)

G|—————————————6———————————————————————|
D|———————6—h8—————8(lr)——————6—————————|
A|—6—h8————————————————6—h8—————4——————|
E|——————————————————————————————————6——|

  0.31 & 1.11:

G|—————————————6—h8————|
D|———————6—h8——————————|
A|—6—h8————————————————|
E|—————————————————————|
                           
  Not 100% sure about this bit, so heres a fig. a la King!
                   
G|8————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————————————————————6——6——8——|
A|———5——5——6——7——8———8——8——8——6——6——8——4——6——8——6——8———————————|
E|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

  This is played @ 2.54 (just a slight variation)
                          An other varation @ 3.37
G|—————————————6—————|  G|—————————————8————|
D|———————6—h8—————8——|  D|———————6—h8—————8—|
A|—6/8———————————————|  A|—6—h8—————————————|
E|———————————————————|  E|——————————————————|

  4.57:

G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————6—8—6————————|
A|———————————5—8—————5—8———————8——————| (something like that)
E|—4———6———6——————6——————————————4—6——|

  5.16 (Quiet bit)

G|—————————————6—————|—8/9—8—6—————| <—— Thats played a few times with 
D|———————6—h8—————8——|———————————8—|     1 or 2 variations like: 
A|—6—h8——————————————|—————————————|     |—8/9———8—————|
E|———————————————————|—————————————|     |———————————8—|
                                         |—————————————|
                      ^                  |—————————————|
                      |played once again @ 6.48 & 7.12

  Fade out on Main riff.

There, that's about 99% accurate.
Comments, corrections, death threaths etc. to
——————>  {[email protected]}

About Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is often considered to be the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock music by other musicians and commentators in the industry, and one of the most important and influential musicians of his era across a range of genres. After initial success in Europe, he achieved fame in the United States following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. Hendrix often favored raw overdriven amplifiers with high gain and treble and helped develop the previously undesirable technique of guitar amplifier feedback. Hendrix was one of the musicians who popularized the wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock which he often used to deliver an exaggerated pitch in his solos, particularly with high bends and use of legato. He was influenced by blues artists such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Albert King, and Elmore James, rhythm and blues and soul guitarists Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, as well as by funk and some modern jazz. In 1966, Hendrix, who played and recorded with Little Richard's band from 1964 to 1965, said, "I want to do with my guitar what Little Richard does with his voice."

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

Strings and Frets:
Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:
- The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
- The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|---3---------------|
E|-------------------|
            
```
This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

Hammer-On (h):
Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5h7---------|
            
```
Pull-Off (p):
Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------7p5---------|
            
```
Slide (/ or \):
Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5/7---------|
            
```

3. Advanced Techniques

Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

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Jimi Hendrix — Born Under A Bad Sign (ver 3) bass tabs